John Adams

August 08, 2018

I went on Fryday night with Mr. Storer to the Drawing Rooms where the warmth of the weather increased by a great fire and a Croud of good Company, gave me one of my annual great Colds. The same Evening the large Lutheran Church in our old Neighbourhood took fire and was burnt down. The next morning, Mrs. Otis was brought to bed and the Mother and the Daughter are very well.

So much for News good and bad.

The Weather continues very moderate: but the old Adage a green Christmas makes a growing Church Yard, or a fat Church Yard as the various readings have it, is a damper to its Pleasures. Our Country is not yet sufficiently drained, for these warm Winters. Cold Weather is necessary to confine, or kill the putrid deleterious vapours, which arise from uncultivated forests and undrained Marbles.

Parson Osgoods Sermon makes a great Noise here. — What says The Governor to his share of the Whipping?

The Clergy of New England have trumpetted Paine and Robespierre till they begin to tremble for the Consequences of their own Imprudence. Did Mr. Wibirt in complaisance to the Proclamation omit the national Government?

Old Men say that time flys faster and faster every year. If I concur in this observation it must be when I am at Quincy. Here my moments are long and slow. I read my Eyes out, and cant read half enough neither. The more one reads the more one sees We have to read.

An horrid Journey of 3 or 400 miles before I can get home lies before me like a mountain.

Charles has lost his Friend Steuben. I have written to him a great many Letters: but I can get only a line in answer. At one time he says he has a willow on his Finger. At another he is very busy. This is good news. I have invited him to come and spend a Week with me in January if his Business will allow.

I have bought the Tryals of the Scotch Jacobins, and sent them to him as Presents. They are in the Way of his Profession and will be both Entertainment and Information to him. Self Created societies in Switzerland, England and Scotland, dont come off with a gentle rap over the knuckles in a Speech or a sermon: but they promote their Members to the Cord or to Botany Bay, to Banishment, Transportation or Death.

The mildness of our Government is a pleasing delightful Characteristic: but and although it will probably give Encouragement to some Disorders, and even some daring Crimes, it is too prescious to be relinquished without an absolute Necessity.

Have my Mother with you as often as possible and tell her I hope to see her again in two months.

August 01, 2018

Your Favour of the Ninth of this Month was delivered to me, Yesterday by Mr. Whitney, whose Health I hope will be fully restored by the Small Pox for which he was innoculated the day before. Your Letter, Sir, gave me great Pleasure and deserves my most hearty Thanks.

I am fully with you in Sentiment, that altho the Authority of the Congress founded as it has been, in Reason, Honour, and the Love of Liberty, has been sufficient to govern the Colonies, in a tolerable Manner, for their Defence and Protection: yet that it is not prudent, to continue very long in the same Way. That a permanent Constitution should be formed, and foreign Aid, obtained. In these Points and thus far the Colonies, and their Representatives the Congress are extremely well united.—But concerning a Declaration of Independency there is some Diversity of Sentiment. Two Arguments only, are urged with any Plausibility against such a Measure. One is that it will unite all the Inhabitants of G. Britain against Us. The other, that it will put us too much in the Power of foreign States. The first has little Weight in it, because the People of Great Britain, are already as much united against Us, as they ever are in any Thing, and the Probability is, that such a Declaration would excite still greater Divisions and Distractions among them.

The second has less Weight still, for foreign Powers already know that We are as obnoxious to the British Court as We can be. They know that Parliament have in effect declared Us independent, and that We have acted these thirteen Months, to all Intents and Purposes as if We were so.

The Reports of fifty five Thousand Men, coming against Us, are chiefly ministerial Gasconade. However We have reason to fear that they will send several very powerfull Armaments against Us, and therefore our most strenuous Exertions will be necessary, as well as our most fervent Prayers. America is yet in her Infancy, or at least but lately arrived to Man hood, and is inexperienced in the perplexing Misteries of Policy, as well as the dangerous Operations of War.

I assure you, sir, that your Employment, in investigating the Moral Causes of our Miseries, and in pointing out the Remedies, is devoutly to be wished. There is no station more respectable, nor any so pleasant and agreable. Those who tread the public Stage, in Characters the most extensively conspicuous, meet with so many Embarrassments, Perplexities, and Disappointments, that they have often reason to wish for the peacefull Retreats of the Clergy. . . . Who would not wish to exchange the angry Contentions of the Forum, for the peacefull Contemplations of the Closet. Where Contemplations prune their ruffled Wings and the free Soul looks down to pitty Kings? Who would not Exchange the discordant Scenes of Envy, Pride, Vanity, Malice, Revenge, for the sweet Consolations of Philosophy, the serene Composure of the Passions, the divine Enjoyments of Christian Charity, and Benevolence?

Statesmen my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for Liberty, but it is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the Principles upon which Freedom can securely stand. . . . The only foundation of a free Constitution, is pure Virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our People, in a greater Measure, than they have it now, They may change their Rulers, and the forms of Government, but they will not obtain a lasting Liberty.—They will only exchange Tyrants and Tyrannies.—You cannot therefore be more pleasantly, or usefully employed than in the Way of your Profession, pulling down the Strong Holds of Satan. This is not Cant, but the real sentiment of my Heart.—Remember me with much respect, to your worthy family, and to all Friends.

July 18, 2018

I had the Pleasure, a few days ago, of your Favor of 8th. Instant, for which I esteem myself under great obligations to you.

We rejoice here at the Prospect there is of your driving the Enemy from Boston. If you should Succeed in this I hope effectual Measures will be taken to fortify the Harbor, that the Navy may never enter it again. I think the Narrows may be So obstructed that large Ships will not be able to pass, and the Channel between Long Island and the Moon may be commanded by Batteries upon each of those Islands in such a manner that Boston may be Safe from Men of War. I hope my Countrymen will hesitate at no Expense to attain this End, if in order to accomplish it, they should be obliged to remove the rocky Mountains of my Town of Braintree into the Harbor.

But I cannot yet clearly Satisfy myself that they will leave Boston. It will be a greater Disgrace to the British Arms than to be taken Prisoners in the Town in a Body. If they should abandon the Persons and Property of their dear Friends the Tories in Boston, will any other Tories in any other Part of the Continent ever trust to their Protection? It will be considered as such Impotence, or such Infidelity that I am inclined to think, few Professors of Toryism would ever afterwards be found any where.

I agree with you, that in Politics the Middle Way is none at all. If We finally fail in this great and glorious Contest, it will be by bewildering ourselves in groping after this middle Way. We have hither to conducted half a War, acted upon the Line of Defense &c. &c. But you will See by tomorrows Paper, that for the future We are likely to wage three Quarters of a War. The Continental ships of War, and Provincial ships of War, and Letters of Mark and Privateers are permitted to cruise upon British Property, whenever found on the ocean. This is not Independency you know, nothing like it.

If a Post or two more, should bring you unlimited Latitude of Trade to all Nations, and a polite Invitation to all Nations to trade with you, take care that you don’t call it, or think it Independency. No such Matter. Independency is an Hobgoblin, of So frightful Mein, that it would throw a delicate Person into Fits to look it in the Face.

I know not whether you have seen the Act of Parliament called the restraining Act, or prohibitory Act, or piratical Act, or plundering Act, or Act of Independency, for by all these Titles is it called. I think the most apposite is the Act of Independency, for King Lords and Commons have united in Sundering this Country and that I think forever. It is a complete Dismemberment of the British Empire. It throws thirteen Colonies out of the Royal Protection, levels all Distinctions and makes us independent in Spite of all our supplications and Entreaties.

It may be fortunate that the Act of Independency should come from the British Parliament, rather than the American Congress: But it is very odd that Americans should hesitate at accepting Such a Gift from them.

However, my dear Friend Gates, all our Misfortunes arise from a Single Source, the Reluctance of the Southern Colonies to Republican Government. The success of this War depends upon a Skillful Steerage of the political Vessel. The Difficulty lies in forming Constitutions for particular Colonies, and a Continental Constitution for the whole, each Colony should establish its own Government, and then a League should be formed, between them all. This can be done only on popular Principles and Maxims which are so abhorrent to the Inclinations of the Barons of the south, and the Proprietary Interests in the Middle Colonies, as well as to that Avarice of Land, which has made upon this Continent so many Votaries to Mammon that I Sometimes dread the Consequences. However Patience, Fortitude and Perseverance, with the Help of Time will get us over these obstructions.

Thirteen Colonies under such a Form of Government as that of Connecticut, or one, not quite so popular leagued together in a faithful Confederacy might bid Defiance to all the Potentates of Europe if united against them.

Pray continue to make me happy with your Favors, accept of my most cordial Wishes for your safety, Happiness and Honor, make my most respectful Compliments to the General and the Ladies, and the whole Family, and believe me to be with great Respect your affectionate Friend and servant